1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement, having a base monitoring device, which is arranged or intended to be arranged in a switchgear cabinet and has at least one bus connection, several sensor connections, and at least one triggering connection, for monitoring, controlling and/or regulating switchgear cabinet functions.
2. Description of Prior Art
A switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement of this type is disclosed in German Patent Reference DE 196 09 689 A1. This known switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement has a central control device and is adapted to various uses of the switchgear cabinet and, together with a versatile sensor arrangement for various measured values, such as the temperature, closing position of the door, vibrations, smoke development and humidity, as well as actuators, by which the sensor signals can be suitably acted upon with the control device. Control and regulation provides a design of the switchgear cabinet for various uses, and thus the control device with the signal processing and signal evaluation units is accordingly elaborately laid out. For example, it must also have a network connecting unit for connection to a network.
A further switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement is disclosed in German Patent Reference DE 197 10 016 C1, wherein the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement is connected to a network. The switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement is connected to a bus system, to whose other end a master computer is connected, so that it is possible to pass on the signals from the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement via the bus to the master computer. The master computer is also connected to the network, to which several further computers are also connected. One of these further computers is also connected, besides to the net, to the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement. The switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement per se is designed relatively elaborately and also has a connecting unit for connection to a network, for example.
One object of this invention is to provide a switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement of the type mentioned but wherein a group of switchgear cabinets can be monitored with less cost outlays.
This object is achieved with a switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement as set forth in this specification and in the claims. A further monitoring device arranged or to be arranged in a respective further switchgear cabinet is assigned to the base monitoring device, each which is connected to the base monitoring device with a field bus. At least one further monitoring device also has several sensor connections and at least one triggering connection and is designed for monitoring, controlling and/or regulating switchgear cabinet functions.
It is necessary to equip only the base monitoring device more elaborately in order to offer, for example, expanded control, regulation and evaluation options, as well as a connection to a net. The further monitoring devices of the local group can communicate with the more elaborate base monitoring device via the simply equipped field bus of the bus system and can utilize its control options, for example in order to perform definite controls of built-in units or add-on units, so that less elaborate control devices are sufficient for the monitoring devices. If a net connection is provided, only the base monitoring device needs to be appropriately equipped.
The measures, that a data exchange via the field bus is only provided between the at least one further monitoring device and the base monitoring device, also contribute to the simplified embodiment of the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement.
A simple and also individual switchgear cabinet monitoring, control and/or adjustment, or respectively programming, from a remote location, for example a master computer, is possible because only the base monitoring device has a network connection unit for making a connection with the network.
An exact evaluation and versatile control options result, along with a relatively simple design of the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement. Data received from the further monitoring devices can be processed and evaluated and/or transmitted via the network connecting unit to the network in a control device of the base monitoring device. With the layout of the control device in the base monitoring device it is possible for the individual further monitoring device to individually exchange monitoring and control data with the control device of the base monitoring device via the field bus, without interfering with each other.
If pre-processing or complete processing of the sensor signals can be performed in the further monitoring devices, the further monitoring devices can take on essential monitoring and control functions, as well as registration and display functions.
The supply with electrical power of the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement becomes possible in a simple manner, for example with a single net unit in the base monitoring device and only a single net connection. The further monitoring devices are connected to the voltage supply via the base monitoring device. Voltage monitoring and emergency power supply for the further monitoring devices is also possible solely from the base monitoring device.
With the steps, wherein several switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangements are connected via the network connection, and/or at least one switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement is connected with a master computer, it is possible to monitor and control local groupings of switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangements, via the network in a large linkage.
Varied monitoring and control functions are made possible with a comparatively low cost outlay because the design of the switchgear cabinet monitoring device, wherein the further monitoring devices form satellites, for example, of the base monitoring device.